Parliamentary roundtable looks to improve patient access

Key stakeholders, including policymakers and healthcare professionals, met to discuss and debate the steps needed to transform dentistry. The parliamentary roundtable focused on improving dentistry both now and in the long term. It also discussed the need to address access to services, especially urgent care, with a particular emphasis on increasing the dental workforce and reforming the NHS dental contract in England.

Chaired by the Association of Dental Group’s (ADG) executive chair, Neil Carmichael, and hosted by Dr Peter Prinsley, MP, the roundtable’s main issue for discussion was patient access to a dentist. There are currently over 3,000 unfilled vacancies for dentists across the NHS and private sectors. Data published by NHS England for the period to March 2024, show there were 2,749 full-time equivalent (FTE basis) NHS dentist vacancies, with 411 (FTE basis) vacancies in private practices still open.